For the band
by Kailey Hamilton
Summary: Yamato doesn't quite understand why would Sora give Valentine's Day chocolate to all the members of his band. Sorato. Oneshot.


_Notes:_ _I am clearly not bitter... and, to be honest, I am just mostly amused. Anyway, here, have a Valentine's Day Sorato a whole month-ish earlier. Because why not. I'm also toying with headcanons of a) height difference and b) them living in the same apartment building, because… why not. This attempts to remain consistent with Japanese gift-giving traditions in Valentine's Day and White Day. Please don't be afraid of messaging me if you spot any inaccuracies, and please let me know if you liked it as well._

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 **For the band**

"It was a nice gesture for you to bring chocolate for everyone."

"It was nothing."

"I guess, but you didn't have to."

Sora smiled, sensing deep down that he was trying to convey a stronger message.

They walked slowly, as they usually did when they walked home from school. It was a chilly but clear evening. Sora was wearing a scarf, gloves and even her blue earmuffs, but her nose was frozen cold and the sensation spread through all her body. Sora wished she could see the stars, as they did in the Digital World. But the city lights were bright and brought a false sense of warmth. Only Yamato next to her made the night seem more alive, more beautiful, even a little cozier.

"Of course I had to. It would've been rude not to. Besides…" Sora looked for a way to phrase her thoughts that wouldn't quite give them away. "They always make fun of you when you get more chocolate than you could possibly eat."

"Yes, and for all they complain about not being quite as popular, now they whine about having to get you White Day chocolate."

There was no hint of arrogance in Yamato's voice. Yamato accepted the fact that he had fans as he accepted that the sun rose and set every day of his life. It was part of what he did, and whether he liked it or not, he took it with a shrug.

"There's no pleasing them, is there? Last year, the old band was bitter about the fact I didn't bring them chocolate-"

"You don't have to try so hard, Sora."

"But they were right."

"They were just joking around."

Jokes, Sora knew, held a sliver of truth sometimes. It had been wrong for Akira to say that bringing Yamato chocolate, without thinking of the other guys, made her no different from any of the fans. But wasn't that true? She knew the guys, she talked to them on a first-name basis. They were right.

So this year she'd made chocolate for everyone. The present for Yamato was the most thoughtful, the one with the prettiest wrapping, the biggest bow. Everyone could tell. But as she presented the guys with their respective boxes, she realized she'd done the right thing.

"You're my girlfriend." Yamato took her away from her thoughts. "Everyone knows that. It's rude for them to say anything, and it's rude for anyone else to bring me chocolate."

"Oh, it doesn't bother me that they do. It should, I know it should…" She sighed. "I don't hold it against you. I wish they would back off, sure, but it doesn't make me feel threatened or angry. I don't think there's ill intention behind their actions and I've long accepted your fans as part of the deal."

"It bothers _me_."

"You don't have to say that for my sake." Yamato opened his mouth, probably to refute her words, but she smiled and kept talking. "It would be different if someone were actively trying to break us up, or being rude to me… but it's basically harmless for a girl to confess her feelings this way, if she knows her feelings won't be returned. And even if Akira hadn't said anything last year, it's the right thing for me to do something nice for your band. I'm glad I did."

They'd reached their building, and stood together in front of the elevator. Yamato lived a few stories down from her; he could take the stairs if he wanted to. But he always walked her to her door.

Sora examined him, quite aware that her feelings of affection were painted on her face. Yamato's icy anger had melted away with every word she spoke. Sora was glad to see his mitten-clad hands were on his pockets, his blue eyes smiling and his shoulders relaxed. His expression softened even more when he noticed her stare.

That was Yamato as no one else got to see him.

"More White Day chocolate for you, then?"

"I guess." Sora giggled. "What are you going to do with all that extra chocolate, anyway?"

"Gabumon. And my Dad. Want some?" He extended her the bag in which he'd thrown in all the boxes. Hers was on top, laid carefully on top of the mess.

"You're not sharing your Valentine's Day chocolate with me." She tried to sound more annoyed than amused, but she knew by the gleam in Yamato's eyes that she'd failed.

"Maybe Piyomon…"

"She ate half the batch I made for the guys. She doesn't deserve any."

Yamato let out a soft laugh. It was a sound Sora adored, even as it was almost muffled by the elevator doors opening. They walked in, and as soon as the doors closed, he pulled her in for a hug.

Sora's cheek rested on his chest. Even with her earmuffs still on, she could feel his fast-paced heart as her arms circled his waist. These were little moments in which they were alone together, in relative privacy, and time seemed to stand still.

Her face felt warm as she looked up at him and tugged on his scarf. Yamato smirked.

"Thank you for everything you do for me," he whispered.

His lips found hers a fraction of a second before the doors opened.


End file.
